Tularemia diagnosed in four island residents

Tuesday

Sep 3, 2013 at 2:00 AM

I&M Staff Writer

Four island residents have been diagnosed with the infectious disease tularemia, commonly known as rabbit fever, according to the Nantucket Health Department.

Town officials are urging island residents to avoid touching dead rabbits or other small animals, or approaching any animal that appears to be disoriented or sluggish. The Health Department is also advising landscapers to wear respirator masks when cutting grass over six inches tall to reduce the risk of exposure in the event a hidden animal is struck and the bacetia becomes aerosolized.

Tularemia, caused by the bacterium Francisella tularensis, can be transmitted to humans who handle sick or deceased animals or are bitten by infected ticks or deer flies, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It can also be transmitted by inhaling contaminated dusts or aerosols.

The disease, which can cause fever, skin ulcers, pneumonia, and is potentially life-threatening in rare cases, is most often treated and controlled successfully with antibiotics.

“We need the public to be aware,” Nantucket Health Department director Richard Ray said. “If there’s a dead animal near the side of the road, ignore it, do not let your animal go near it, and call the DPW to remove it. Please be careful about where your lawnmower goes and what it runs over. We’ve had a few cases over the years, but not four at one time.”

For complete coverage of this story, pick up Thursday's Inquirer and Mirror.

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